Masami Wake | Buying a Bouquet to Arrange and Display Yourself (Part 1)

Do you hand over a bouquet for an anniversary as is?

Buying a bouquet, arranging it yourself, and displaying it (Part 1)

The series title, "New York Style Flower Design for Men to Enjoy," finally begins!
In this first installment, we learn how to arrange a store-bought bouquet in a vase with Masami Wake as our instructor. Moving beyond simply having a florist make a bouquet and presenting it as is, we'll celebrate anniversaries by arranging flowers in a vase. OPENERS readers should be capable of this. We welcome Eiichi Hasegawa, an office worker, as our student.

Text by OPENERSPhotos by Emiko Hara

Part 1 of the bouquet arrangement series: Let's see how first-timer Hasegawa does!

“I know people are happy when you give them flowers, but I feel embarrassed when the florist asks, ‘What are they for?’” says Eiichi Hasegawa.
For this occasion, we imagined a family anniversary and had a florist create an autumnal, chic bouquet for ¥15,000.

We then deliberately took the bouquet apart to try arranging it in our own style!
In the second part, Wake will arrange the same flowers in the "New York Style." Look forward to it next week!

The bouquet Hasegawa chose this time included roses, mokara (orchids), vanda (orchids), carnations, gerberas, pineapple trees, cockscombs, pokeweed, and accompanying foliage.

“It’s really just my own style, but…” he says, skillfully using floral shears to arrange the flowers in the vase.

Hasegawa's arrangement was completed in about 20 minutes.
When asked about his experience, he replied, “It’s more fun than I expected. I focused on the roses and filled in from the outside, but I have no idea if it’s correct (laughs).
When you actually handle various flowers, you start to feel like there's a hierarchy among them.
The purple orchids, for instance, feel like they're on a higher level.
I find the cockscomb to be a very unique flower, but it's difficult to arrange.

Now, how will Wake arrange these flowers after seeing Hasegawa's attempt? Look forward to next week's conclusion!